Method of handling a temporary disturbance in a packaging machine

ABSTRACT

Method of handling a temporary disturbance in a packaging machine, having a moving endless loop ( 1 ) with carriers ( 2 ) for packages (P) supplied thereto at one portion of the loop and after certain packaging operation steps, being ejected from the carriers ( 2 ) at another portion thereof for final processing. The ejection of packages from said carriers ( 2 ) is interupted upon detection of such a disturbance, whereas the endless loop ( 1 ) continues to move with the non-ejected packages in the carriers ( 2 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of handling a temporary disturbance in a packaging machine, having a moving endless loop with carriers for packages supplied to the carriers at one portion of the loop and after certain packaging operation steps ejected from the carriers at another portion thereof for final processing.

[0002] In a machine of this kind speed is of utmost importance for obtaining the best possible production efficiency. As a consequence a stop in the production causes problems mainly depending on the high production speed combined with a machine of great complexity. Since production speed may be as high as seven to ten items a second and the time to reach a full stop in the machine lies in the range of five seconds, a waste of 35 to 50 filled and sealed packages may be the result of a stop. These packages may on restart upon reindexation of the machine only with effort be timely reinstated in the flow of semi finished products. Consequently said packages are normally considered not worth the effort to save and are therefore seen as waste.

[0003] However, as a general rule, waste is not accepted. It is therefore the purpose of the present invention to propose a solution to minimize the amount of waste due to a temporary disturbance in for instance a final folding step or later such as in a sterilisation process.

[0004] According to the invention, the ejection of packages from said carriers is interupted upon detection of such a temporary disturbance, whereas the endless loop continues to move with the non-ejected packages in the carriers.

[0005] The feed of creased blanks is upon interruption of the ejection interrupted simultaneously. Hereby the reason of doubt regarding the condition of the packages upon restart of the production process is reduced.

[0006] All blanks already fed to the machine upon said interruption of ejection are thereafter finished into filled and sealed packages, which then are kept contained in the carriers until a restart of the production process in its entirity is possible. Hereby the abovementioned reason of doubt is further reduced, since all packages contained in the loop are almost finished.

[0007] After said interruption and after filling and sealing the last fed blank, the so formed, sealed and filled packages are continuously circulated at normal speed of the machine with all normal package forming and filling steps shut off until the disturbance has been attended to and the production process may be resumed. By so doing the final reason of doubt is eliminated, since all packages still contained in the carriers prior to restart of the production process are ready to be introduced into a final folding step, which can be considered as the last step before finally the entire product, is fed to an arrangement or a procedure for sterilisation.

[0008] Below a description of an embodiment of a production loop to which a method according to the invention is applied is given with reference to the enclosed drawing, in which

[0009]FIG. 1a, as a schematic top view, shows the main elements of a production loop, being part of a production line, to which a method according to the invention is applied, and

[0010]FIG. 1b in a perspective side view shows a carrier for a package, for use in a production loop as above.

[0011] In FIG. 1a, a major part of a production line or loop 1 for forming, filling and sealing a package P for durable containment of its content is shown.

[0012] A closed loop 1 of carriers 2 is shown. Arrows 3 show a direction of motion for said loop of carriers 2.

[0013] The carriers 2 are adapted to carry the packages P during handling thereof in order to make the handling easier without damaging the packages P. In FIG. 1b a carrier 2 is shown as a perspective view. From this view it is obvious that the packages P are well protected while handled contained in the carriers 2.

[0014] Creased blanks 4 are at 5 consecutively fed to said carriers 2, which blanks 4 upon feed thereof are initially formed to fit into said carriers. The blanks 4 so fed, are thereafter formed and sealed at 6 at the bottom end in order to establish an initial package P, open at its top end.

[0015] The carriers 2 with their packages P are tranferred with a chain conveyor 7, in turn driven by a chain 8 (both shown schematically), to reach a circular part C of said loop 1. Said circular part C of the loop 1 is provided with fillers (not shown), which are in co-motion with the loop of carriers 2 as is indicated as a dash-dot line. Here the carriers are filled at full speed of the loop under non-aseptic conditions.

[0016] A second sealing of the top end of the package P is performed at 9, where the packages P are finally formed and sealed after filling. With an arrow 10 an ejection of a filled and sealed package P from its carrier for transfer to a final folding step is schematically shown. The pacckage P has in its position shown after the arrow 10 a pillow-like shape, which is a pre-requisite for obtaining a rectangular or almost rectangular shape thereof once it has been finally folded.

[0017] Upon detection of a temporary disturbance in connection with a final folding equipment for said packages P, or for that matter later in the production process, it is according to a method of the invention possible to immediately interrupt the ejection of packages P from said loop 1, which continues to run with packages P in the carriers 2 also after the interruption of the ejection stage. By so doing an unwanted build-up of semi-finished packages after the loop can be avoided and the production loop can, having taken care of the temporary disturbance, thereafter easily be reinstated in the overall production process since the speed of the loop is the same all the time, even during said interruption of ejection. Dependent upon the product to be contained in the packages P, the time of such a temporary interruption may be limited to what is acceptable for hygienic reasons. Should for some reason such a limited time be exceeded, the packages may in spite of all precautionary measures be considered as waste. Under such circumstances such waste is easy to take care of, since the packages are completely sealed to the environment. 

1. Method of handling a temporary disturbance in a packaging machine, having a moving endless loop (1) with carriers (2) for packages (P) supplied thereto at one portion of the loop and, after certain packaging operation steps, being ejected from the carriers (2) at another portion thereof for final processing, characterised in that the ejection of packages (P) from said carriers (2) is interupted upon detection of such a disturbance, whereas the endless loop (1) continues to move with the non-ejected packages in the carriers (2).
 2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the feed of blanks (4) is interrupted simultaneously as the the ejection of filled and sealed packages (P) is interrupted.
 3. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that all blanks (4) already fed to the machine upon said interruption are finished into sealed packages (P), which thereafter are kept contained in the carriers (2).
 4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that the carriers (2) continue to circulate the machine with all normal package forming steps shut off until the disturbance has been attended to. 